Indian influencers to drive $1 trillion consumer expenditure by 2030: BCG report

The influence of India’s creator economy on consumer spending is expected to almost triple to $1 trillion by 2030, a Boston Consultancy Group report released on Friday said.

India is home to 5 million content creators whose videos influence up to $400 billion of consumer spending. That is, 20% of India’s $2,000 billion overall consumer spending. However, as of yet, it impacts only 30% of consumers in India, the report added. That is because a large audience uses social media just for fun.

The report said, “70% people watch content online ‘to get entertained’ and ‘to get information’, other reasons include ‘develop new skills’ and ‘gain technical knowledge.’” 

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Simultaneously, the creator ecosystem’s direct revenues are projected to expand to $100-125 billion in the next five years from $20-25 billion today. The report has found that the creator economy is largely a metropolitan phenomenon. Almost 65% of creators are from urban centres. However, it has also started picking up in Tier 2 and 3 cities.

“Our platforms of ShareChat and Moj have 75% of users and 80% of creators from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. We contribute to diversifying the creator and consumer profile for brands while empowering regional creativity in India. We have also pioneered new monetisation models such as microtransactions, which drive the majority of creator earnings on our platforms today,” said Manohar Singh Charan, co-founder of Indian creator platforms Moj and ShareChat.

The leading sectors in the creator space include lifestyle categories like fashion, entertainment, beauty and personal care.

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Influencers and brands

With this growth, brands are expanding their investment in influencer marketing. The report suggests that 70% of Indian brands plan to scale their influencer budgets by up to three times in the next two to three years.

A prime example of this is India’s largest FMCG brand, Hindustan Unilever. Mint reported earlier that HUL has broadened its influencer pool by almost 11 times.

The increase in budgets will also help these companies deal with the challenges of maximising the return on their investment and the problem of influencers with fake followers.

“What began as a Gen Z and metro-focused phenomenon is now resonating across age groups and smaller cities, unlocking new avenues of influence and engagement,” said Vipin Gupta, managing director and partner at BCG.

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“Categories like fashion, beauty, and entertainment are leading the charge, while emerging monetization models—such as live commerce and virtual gifting—are redefining how creators and brands drive value together,” he added.

Content platforms, which are at the centre of this growth, play a vital role. Mint reported earlier that YouTube invested ₹210 billion in India’s creator economy in the past three years.